No. 20 VB Makes Quick Work of New Mexico to Close Ameritas Challenge

Saturday, September 12

Lincoln, Neb.

11 a.m.

Baylor

6-2,0-0Big 12

New Mexico

2-6,0-0Mountain West

Team	1	2	3	Final F
New Mexico	20	17	22	0
Baylor	25	25	25	3

Baylor Volleyball Celebrates a Point against UNM in 2026

No. 20 VB Makes Quick Work of New Mexico to Close Ameritas Challenge

9/12/2026 1:20:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

BU wraps its road trip with an impressive 2-1 mark

By: Matt Roberts

LINCOLN, Neb. – No. 20 Baylor volleyball closed its stay at the Ameritas Challenge in dominant fashion Saturday, overcoming an early deficit in the second set and using several extended scoring runs to sweep New Mexico, 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-22), at Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The Bears (6-2) bounced back from Friday night's hard-fought loss to No. 1 Nebraska by controlling long stretches against the Lobos (2-6). Baylor hit .254 for the match, including a blistering .342 in the second set, and finished with 46 kills to New Mexico's 33.

Ksenia Rakhmanchik paced the Bears with 17 kills while hitting .300, while Isabela Haggard added four kills and 32 assists while hitting .571. Victoria Davis contributed seven kills and three blocks, and Nadiya Johnson added eight kills.

RUNDOWN
Baylor established control early in the opening set, jumping out to a 3-0 lead behind a pair of Rakhmanchik kills and a New Mexico attack error. The Lobos answered to pull within 4-3, but the Bears immediately responded with another surge, scoring six of the next seven points to build a 10-4 advantage. Haggard and Davis teamed up for a block before Warren, Haggard and Davis continued to produce offensively. New Mexico trimmed the margin to 14-11, but Baylor answered again, scoring three straight to push ahead 17-11. The Lobos never got closer than five the rest of the way as Baylor used another 4-0 stretch to move from 18-13 to 22-13 and eventually closed out the set, 25-20.

The second set showcased Baylor's ability to absorb an early punch and respond with overwhelming runs. New Mexico opened the frame with four consecutive points and later extended its lead to 6-2. From there, however, the Bears completely flipped the momentum. Baylor scored five straight points behind kills from Johnson, Hemmer and Rakhmanchik to erase the deficit and take a 7-6 lead. After New Mexico briefly tied the set at 8-8, Baylor unleashed another five-point run, with Rakhmanchik delivering back-to-back kills before Haggard and Rakhmanchik helped push the advantage to 13-7. The Lobos managed to stop the run at 13-8, but Baylor answered with seven of the next eight points, including four in a row to turn a 16-9 lead into a commanding 20-11 advantage. Rakhmanchik added two more kills during the stretch, and the Bears cruised from there, closing the set 25-17. Baylor hit .342 in the frame with 17 kills and just four errors.

New Mexico again found some early momentum in the third, taking a 7-5 lead. Baylor responded quickly, tying the set at 7-7 on an Isabela Haggard ace before the Lobos briefly moved back in front, 8-7. From there, the Bears took command. A trio of attack errors and a Davis kill sparked a 5-0 Baylor run that turned an 8-8 tie into a 12-8 lead. New Mexico cut the deficit to 12-10, but Rakhmanchik answered with back-to-back kills and later added another to help Baylor maintain a 16-13 advantage. The Lobos continued to battle, pulling within 18-15, but Baylor scored three straight to reach 21-15, with Davis sparking the surge. New Mexico made a late push, cutting a 24-18 deficit to 24-22, but the Bears held firm and closed the match on a New Mexico attack error, 25-22.

GAME NOTES

Baylor moved to 6-2 on the season.
With 17 more kills on Saturday, Ksenia Rakhmanchik was Baylor's offensive catalyst this weekend, recording 54 kills in nine sets for an average of 6.00 kills per set while hitting .302.
The sophomore's 16 digs against the Lobos set a career high
Saturday marked Rakhmanchik's first double-double of the season and the sixth of her career.
Nadiya Johnson had eight more kills on Saturday.
The sophomore had an efficient weekend, recording 25 kills on 63 attacks with just six errors for a .302 hitting percentage. She averaged 2.78 kills per set.
The Bears finished the weekend with 133 kills across nine sets, averaging 14.78 kills per set while hitting .264 as a team.
BU is 6-0 this season and 205-24 in the McGuyre era when winning the opening set.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Bears return home for the Baylor Classic, hosting UIW on Wednesday and UTEP on Friday night, with both matches set for 7 p.m. All remaining home matches will be available on ESPN+, with stats available all season at BaylorBears.com/Stats.

Season and single-match tickets are on sale now for the 2026 season. You can find them at BaylorBears.com/tickets or by calling the Baylor Athletics Ticket Office at 254-710-1000.

To stay up to date with Baylor Volleyball all year long, follow the program on Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok: @BaylorVBall. Want to support the team? You can do so by giving to the One Way Club.

—Baylorbears.com—